Self-threading shuttle



Aungo 4, 1931. H. A. DAVIS SELF THREADING SHUTTLE Filed Sept. 29 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l lNVENT'OR.

ATTORNEY Aug" 4, 1931. H. A. DAVIS SELF THREADING SHUTTLE- Filed Sept. 29, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //\/l ENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 4, 1931 ,HARRYii. DAVIS, OF HOPEIDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB- TO DRAPER CORPORA- TION, OF HOIPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE SELF-THR'EADING EHUTTLE Application filed. September 29, 1930. Serial No. 485,118.

This invention relates to self-threading shuttles and is more particularly directed to the thread tensioning and take-up mechanism of such shuttles.

In the Allen S. Hutchins Patent, No. 1,723,423, dated August 6,1929, there is shown and described a tension and take-up mechanism for self-threading shuttles, especially adapted for weaving with fine yarn, such as silk, rayon and the like.

The tension and take-up mechanism of the Hutchins patent consists of two members pivotally mounted at the forward end of the thread passage and having rearwardly extending portions each provided with a thread engaging loop, and said members are normally held in separated or take-up position by yielding means such as a rubber band or the like. The two tensioning members in the Hutchins patent are so contrived and related that they have crossing portions opening towards the end of the shuttle to form a thread receiving notch and during the threading operation the thread passesinto the notch on the second pick of the shuttle following replenishment and acts to move the two tensioning members relatively that the thread may pass into control of the thread engaging loops of said members, so that the thread is thereafter controlled by the give and take'up action of the two tensioning members during weaving, in order to maintain tension upon the thread.

One of the objects of the present invention is to insure a more positive threading of the shuttle and its passage into control of the ten-. sioning members on the second pick of the shuttle following replenishment.

Another object of the invention consists in providing means for insuring a direct delivery of the thread from the side delivery eye during weaving.

Another object of the invention consists in providing for the non-interference of the two tensioning members as they move relatively towards and from each other during the weaving operation.

The invention and novel features thereof will best be made clear from the following description and the accompanying drawings of one good form thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a self-threading shuttle at'the thread delivery eye thereof, with parts broken away showing the relation of the tensioning members;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the shuttle frontward of the tensioning members and looking towards the bobbin chamber;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of'Fig. 2, showin the shuttle as fully threaded and the threa being delivered from the side delivery eye ;'and

Fig. 4 is a like section to that of 3 showing the tensioning members in normal position before the shuttle is threaded;

The shuttle 1 may be of the usual selfthreading type and provided with the bobbin chamber 2, and frontward of the bobbin chamber is the longitudinal thread passage orchamber 3 which is in communication with the side delivery eyet through a passageway 5 leading thereto, asusual in this character of shuttle, so that on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment the thread will pass into the longitudinal thread passage and on the second pick of the shuttle following replenishment it will be directed to'the side delivery eye. I

The twotensioning members are mounted in the longitudinal thread passage or chamber 3 and comprise an upper member A and a lower member B preferably formedof wire and except as hereinafter described such tensioning members may be substantially as showna-nd'described'in the Hutchins patent.

The lower tensioning member B is pivotally mounted at'each side of the longitudinal thread passage or chamber 3, at 6. and from the pivotal connection with the shuttle the lower tensioning 'member B has the rearwardly extending legs 7 and duplicate thread engaging loops 8 from which extend the crossing arms 9. 1

The upper tensioning member A is similar-' ly pivoted at each side of the thread passage or chamber 3, asat 10, from which extend the crossing arms 11 terminating at their rear portions into the thread engaging loops 12 and forwardly extending portions 13, similar in all respects to the tensioning members shown and described in the I-Iutchins patent.

Mounted above the longitudinal thread passage or chamber 3 is the cover plate l i, the head portion of which is provided with a stop or donuiwardly extending projection 16 located above the loop portions 12 of the upper tensioning member, thereby limiting the upward movement of the upper tensioning member into its initial position.

In come cases it may be desirable to form the stop by an adjustable member or .crew 17, the construction being such that when the upper tensioning member is in its normal po sition, as indicated in Fig. 4 and before the shuttle is threaded, the thread receiving notch C presents its lower wall or arm 11- more nearly horizontal than would otherwise be the case, so that when the thread a is in the thread receiving notch on the second picl:

.of the shuttle following replenislnnent, the

predetermined inclination of the lower wall of the notch or arm 11 will offer less obstruction to the passage of the thread between the crossing arms into engagement with the thread engaging loops 8 and 12 of the twotensioning members.

Since the passage of the thread from the thread receiving notch G into the thread engaging loops 8 and 12 is occasioned by the tension of the thread on the second piclt of the shuttle following replenishment, it will be apparent, especially in weaving with finc yarn such as silk, rayon and the like that the displacement of the two tensioning members by the thread will be more readily effected the more nearly horizontal the inclination of the crossing member 11 of the upper tensioning member.

During the weaving operation as the thread is delivered from the side delivery eye it is important that the thread be located in,line with the side delivery eye while under control of the tensioning members, and to this end the lower tensioning member B is con-v trolled in its position by a stop 18 which acts upon the leg 7 of the lower tensioning menr her as the tensioning of the thread increases to thereby limit or define the position of the thread engaging loops8 and cause them to take position in line with the side delivery eye. The efiect is that when the tension of the thread during weaving has raised the thread engaging loops 8 of the lower tensioning member in line with the side delivery eye, the lower tensioning member becomes fixed with itstwo thread engaging loops 8 in line with the side delivery eye, and the upper tensioning member acts yieldtingly upon the bends ofthe thread to insure its proper ten sion.

During the weaving operation. the varying tension on the thread will cause the twotensioning members to approach and separate in a vertical direction, so that the crossing arms of the tensioning members have a relative movement and may be liable at times to interfere with each other or produce friction between the two, and in order to obviate his condition the crossing arm 11 of the upper tensioning member is bent or jogged, as indicated at 19, to provide a clearance between the two tensioning members as they move relatively.

The tensioning members are formed of wire and are resilient so that the pivots or bearings can be yieldingly drawn together when inserting the members in the shuttle and then sprung apart when released, to connect the pivots of the tensioning members with their bearings. During the weaving operation the shuttle is subjected to sudden shocks as it is picked and subsequently arrested in the opposite box, and in o 'der to prevent detachment of the pivots of the tensioning members from their bearings, a guard is employed which, in the present instanceor the invention, consists of a downwardly extending member or the wire 20 secured to the unper portion of the thread passage or chamber 2-3 by a screw or other fastening means 21, and at its lower portion the guard is turned laterally at then upwardly at 23 to prevent accidental detachment of the tensioning members from their pivotal connection with the shuttle. This feature of the shuttic, however, forms the subject-matter of another application of Harry A. Davis, Serial No 448,817, tiled May 1, 1930, and need not be hereinafter described. I

From the construction described it will be apparent that a more sure and positive threading of the shuttle will be effected and that the thread will be lclivered from the side delivery eye in line with the thread engaging loops 8 of the lower tensioning memer, the outer one of said loops or that nearer the wall of the shuttle being closely adjacent the side delivery eye, while the thread engaging loops of the upper tensioning member act upon the thread at points more remote from the side delivery eye, and even though the bend of the thread may be carried upwardlyby the loops 12 of the upper tensioning member, the loops 8 of the lower tensioning member will direct the thread in line with the side delivery eye.

What is claimed is:

1. In a. self-threading shuttle having a forwardly extending thread passage and a side delivery eye connecting therewith, in com bination a pair of weft engagingtensioning members pivoted at their forward ends and having rearwardly extending port-ions provided with thread engaging loops and crossing arms to form a thread receiving notch,

means normally acting to yieldingly move the loops of said tensioning members apart, and stop disposed above the looped end of the upper tensioning member for limiting the upward movement of the crossing arm of said member and its inclination to the crossing arm of the other member to facilitate the passage of the thread into the loops of the two members during threading.

2. In a self-threading shuttle having a forwardly extending thread passage and a side delivery eye connecting therewith, in combination a pair of weft engaging tensionlng members pivoted at their forward ends and having rearwardly extending portions provided with thread engaging loops and crossing arms to form a thread receiving notch, means normally acting to yieldingly move the loops of said tensioning members apart, a top plate having a head portion, and a stop disposed above and for engagement by the looped end of the upper tensioning member for limiting the upward inclination of the crossing arm of said member and facilitate the depression of the upper tensioning member by the thread as it passes into engagement with the loops during threading.

3. A self-threading shuttle having a longitudinally extending thread passage and a s ide delivery eye communicating therewith, an upper and a lower tensioning member each pivoted in the shuttle and having a rearwardly extending portion provided with a thread engaging loop and crossing arm to form a thread receiving notch, means normally acting to yieldingly move the loop portion of the upper member upwardly and the loop portion of the lower member downwardly, and an adiustable stop for limiting the initial upward position of the upper tensioning member and consequent inclination of the crossing arm of said member relative to the crossing arm of the lower member to facilitate the passage of the thread from the receiving notch to the loops of said members.

4, A self-threading shuttle having a longitudinally extending thread passage and a side delivery eye communicating therewith, an upper and a lower tensioning member each pivoted in the shuttle and having a rearwardly extending portion provided with a thread engaging loop and a crossing arm to form a thread receiving notch. means normally acting to yieldingly move the loop portion of the upper member upwardly and the loop portion of the lower member downwardly, a stop for limiting the upward movement of the upper tensioning member to facilitate threading, and a stop for limiting the upward movement of the lower tensioning member to position the loop of the lower tensioning member in line with the side delivery eye under the pull of the thread during weaving.

5. A self-threading shuttle having a longitudinal thread passage and a side delivery eye communicating therewith, an upper and a lower tensioning member each having outturned ends pivotally mounted in the sides of the thread passage and a rearwardly extending leg provided with a thread engaging loop and crossing arm, means normally acting to yieldingly move the loop of the upper member upwardly and the loop of the lower member downwardly, one of said crossing arms being provided with a jog or bend between the out-turned pivoted end and the threadengaging loop where the arms of the two tensioning members cross each other that a clearance may be provided between the crossing arms as they are relatively moved during weaving.

6. A self-threading shuttle having a longitudinal thread passage and a side delivery eye communicating therewith, an upper and a lower tensioning member each having outturned ends pivotally mounted in the sides of the thread passage and a rearwardly extending leg provided with a thread engaging loop and crossing arm, means normally acting to yieldingly move the loop of the upper member upwardly and the loop of the lower member downwardly, one of said crossing arms being provided with a jog or bend between the out-turned pivoted end and the thread engaging loop where the arms of the two tensioning members cross each other that a clearance may be provided between the crossing arms as they are relatively moved during weaving and a stop for limiting the upward movement of the lower tensioning member under pull of the thread during weaving to position the loop of the lower tensioning member in line with the side delivery eye.

In testimony whereof, name to this specification.

HARRY A. DAVIS.

I have signed my 

